Acetylene generator



Dec. 4, 19458;

Filed Jan. 5, 1945 G. L. HILL ACETYLENE GENERATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Y 2/ 2 20 Olli /9 /6 g ,f .Il l5 f /5 4 f A3 L /0 A L *l s e3 '34 E: 83 B :i 3D- 'gal T L6-k 3/ 425 f 4a 4f je @o E .e 5 47 a@ 4.9 45 s'/ so 45 INVENTOR. @F0/wf L.///. BYOZQ/V/S Dec. 14, 1948. G. l.. HILL ACETYLENE GENERATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2I Filed Jan. 5, 1945 mi r M/ A 0 Patented ec. 14,1948

urso STATES r PATENT lolflilCE:

1 j 2,456,278 AosfrYnENE GENERATGR. K George. L.. HiIL'Houston, Tex.

Application January 5, 1945, .Serial No. 57i-1,455

8 Claims.

This invention relates to gas generators, and more particularly it is of utility in the field of generation of acetylene gas wherein a solid, gasgenerating material, calcium carbide, is dropped from a dry chamber into a fluid-containing, gasgenerating chamber.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a gas generator having new and useful improvements for charging the generatorfwith the solid, gas-generating material and for introducing the material of the charge to the gas-generating chamber.

An object of the invention `is to provide a gas generator having a hopper closure constructed to facilitate the recharging of the device.

Another object is to provide a positive closure for the generating chamber to avoid the entrance of atmosphere thereto during the recharging of the device.

A further object is to provide a gas'generator including a diaphragm which is attached to the carbide releasing valve, such diaphragm having a central opening through which the gas-generating material passes.

A further object is to provide a pressure chamber above the diaphragm for controlling the valve for admitting gasegenerating material to. the generating chamber.

A further object is to provide a gas generator comprising a carbide releasing valve and a `closure valve for the generating chamber and co-operati'ng means for restraining the former from opening When the latter is closed.

The foregoing are primary objects which Will, together with further objects, `be more fully apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional View through a generator embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is la plan view taken on line 2 2 in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken online 3-3 l; and

Fig. 4 is a partial' section taken on line 4---ll` in Fig. 1. v

In` effectuating the objects of the invention, thev form shown in the drawings comprises a hop- -per l, which is provided with a ange 2 at its lower end for attachment to a complementary ilange 3 on the generating chamber 4 by means of.A bolts 5 passing through the anges. Interposed between the flanges 2 and 3 is the peripheral vportion of a closure member 6 for the gen- .elratingL chamber.;v such .closurej being designed to 2 servef `a purpose thatwillY be more. ful-ly described. Itis intended that. the-hopper l shall receive a charge of gas-forming material, s -uch-v as calcium carbide, used in the generatioirof acetyleney and the construction and operationoi the, device shall be such that the. calciumr-carbideshall be admitted to the chamber@ atfa rate. to provide an adequate amount of gas. at a desired pressure. Toy this end the upper: end of` the-'hopper l is constructed in* a.v manner to facilitate the.- admission of a charge of calcium carbide-to the in terior of the' hopper andthereafter to. close the hopper against; the pressure of; thea gas generated within the generating: chamber-4. The upper end of the hopper l? is. reversely-l'angedat liand the upper face thereof is. grooved to reoeiveagasket ring II for engagement vby theroover ll2- hinged Aat I` tv to the exterior of the; hopper.

Thereverse flange: I0 provides anexternal an.- nulargroove Hl engageable. by. the hooked ends l5 of thev arms: I'B, which areattached through slottedpivots il to paired ears [18 on the'cover l2; Thev inner ends of these arms. terminate in' pivots I9" in collar 20, which is threaded internally to receive the set screw 21|'y which bears upon-the cover: l2 to exert, the desired. pressure between the cover andthe:gasket Il lso-.assure aseal-fwith the., top of the hopper., 'TheI hinge 13p onr :the cover permits the.l cover and associatedxs'ecuring elements to be swung to onesid; during; the time the hopper is. being recharged With the. gasa-gen,.- .eratng material.

The bottom of the. hopper I: isi in theiforrnA of a truncated cone, which provides an openingi which `is normally.- closed byr a valveailV havingv a s.tem.,.32`A extending'npwardlylthroughiguide members 33y and, 34... A. compression spring 35.4 surrounds the stem 32. andbears. uponthe member 33 and the collar 3.6, the latter being secured to the; stem.. By means of: this:` structure, as above indicated, the.A valve iis-normally held" in closed. position sothat gas-generating material placed Within. the hopper l. is retained. therein. The lower endv of the:Y hopperrwallt is flanged inwardly` and upwardly atand 'sprovided with inwardlyvr extending 'ears 4J. adjacentvr its upper endl Theseuears serve to .li-mit. the upward travel of. .adiaphragm andbellows assemblylz, which comprises a; securing` platel .43 and screws; 4x4 which clampthe periphery of the. diaphragm-'415 tol the. bottom. .of thev` .hopper structure; The inner periphery of, the; diaphragm together with. the lower'endlo a bellows rdlnare' clamped together betWeenarran-numsftl andthe .fiangeof the collar y48, through which bolts 49.1.passi5filt--.

To ei'ect operation of the valve 3| by movement of the diaphragm assembly 42, a bar 50 is attached to the assembly by two of the bolts 49. This bar has a central opening to receive the downwardly extending portion of the valve stem 32, which is secured thereto by means of the nuts 5|.

Below the diaphragm assembly 42 the stem 32 is providedwithacollarll, against which a yoke 6| of actuating rodv 62 bears. rodextends outwardly through a stung gland 63 to the exterior of the generating chamber 4 so that mane ual operation may be effected to move the valve 3| downwardly and initiate the passagelof 'material from the hopper I to the generati i g chamber 4.

The closure member 6 has a'threaded boss l0 at its lower end, and a plug valve '1| is attached thereto. The surface of the plug 'I2 of this valve is juxtaposed to the lower end of the valve stem 32so that the valve 3| is restricted againstdownward'movement when thevalve 1| -is'closed A valve operating rod 'I3 isliattached to the plug 12 and passes through gland '|4 to the exterior of the generating chamber 4L `A nipple 'l5 is attached to the plug valve H at its lower end. `A knocker` 16' extendslinwardly from gland l1 so that impacts may be imparted to the valve assembly .to dislodge any particles of gas-generating .material that may become lodged thereon. :il i a In order to provide automatic operation of the device of the invention, alloy-pass 80 is provided from the generating chamber 4 to theenclosure above the diaphragm 45. This by-pass is provided with a check valve 8|, which admits gas to the enclosure, but prevents the return of the gas to the chamber 4 when the pressure within the latter decreases. When the desired .pressure is established within the closure abovef-the diaphragm 45, a hand-operated valve 82 in the bypass 80 is closed so that the quantity of entrapped gas above the diaphragm 45' remains constant. By means of these co-operating structures, automatic operation is obtained, as will more fully ,appear from the description of the mode of operation of the device. In describing the operationit will be assumed that the hopper lis substantially empty and that the; pressure within the generator chamber l4 `is .the same as that above diaphragm 45, sothat the valve 3| is closed under tension of the spring 35. .i The stemv 32 of Lthe valve 3|;is thus in its Auppermost .position and the valve 1| can be closed, as 'shown in Fig. l, whereby the rvchamber 4 is sealed. 'While it is intended that the valve 3| shall be capable-vof maintaining a sealwiththe bottom of the hopper the closure of the valve assures that lthere shall be noleakage of gas during the recharging of the'fhopper.V It is to be understood however, that suitable pressure line taps v(not shownlare providedfrom chamber Il,y and that gas may beused therefrom underac'cumulated pressure during the recharging operation.

1f the pressure in the ichamber 4 hasffallen below that in the enclosure above 'diaphragm 45 when recharging is necessary, the valve 3| will, of course, beheld open because of the diierential pressure above and below the diaphragmI 1 Under such circumstances gas is withdrawn from above the diaphragm` by opening the :valve 83, whereby suicientgas escapesl that.. the valve 3| is permitted toclose'. The valveoll rcan-then be closed indicated. 1; .1 sil.-

After the valve 1| is closed, the cover I2 is released by loosening the set screw 2|. The cover is then swung outwardly on its hinge I3, whereupon a quantity of the gas-generating material is readily placed within the hopper The cover is then replaced and screw 2| is tightened to reseal the hopper.

If working pressure is maintained within the enclosure above diaphragm 45, automatic operation of the device is thereafter resumed as soon as valve 1| is opened. This will permit the valve 3| to move downwardly and admit material from the hopper to the chamber 4 as the lower end of the valve stem 32 is permitted to move into the opening in theplug 12 due to an excess of pressure above the diaphragm. Obviously, the valve 3| will close as soon as the pressures above and below the diaphragm are substantially equal.

lf gas is withdrawn through the valve `|33 preliminary to recharging or the device is to receive its initial charge, the valve 82 will be opened and valve 3| will be moved downwardly by means of the operating rod 62. When the desired pressure is generated within the device, the valve 82 is again closed and thereafter automatic operation continues.

In the event that particles of the gas-generating material become lodged in or upon the valve 1|, it is, of course, understood that necessary vibration to dislodge such particles can be effected by actuating the knocker 16.

The invention claimed is:

l. A gas generator comprising a hopper having an opening in the bottom thereof, a valve in said opening, means normally holding said valve in closed position, a generating chamber below said hopper, diaphragmatic means forming a partition below said hopper and carrying said -valveand means normally maintaining a predetermined pressure between said diaphragmatic means and said hopper.

2. A gas generator comprising a hopper having an opening in the bottom thereof, a valve in said opening, means normally holding said valve in closed position, a generating chamber below said hopper, diaphragmatic means forming a partition below said hopper and carrying said valve, means normally maintaining a predetermined pressure between said diaphragmatio means and said hopper, and means for reducing the pressure within the enclosure above said last mentioned means to close said valve during recharging of the hopper.

3. Agas generator comprising a hopper having an opening in the bottom thereof, a valve in said opening, a generating chamber below said hopper, a diaphragm assembly sealably attached to the bottom of the hopper about said opening and forming an enclosure, a connection between said valve and said assembly, and means for maintaining a predetermined quantity of pressure fluid within said enclosure.

4. A gas generator comprising a hopper having an opening in the bottom thereof, a valve in said opening, a generating chamber comprising a .closure including a second valve operable to seal -said chamber, said closure oo-operating with said hopper to form an enclosure therebetween, a diaphragm forming a partition within said enclosure, and means for admitting pressure from thechamber to the space above said diaphragm.

5. A gas generator comprising a hopperhaving an opening in the bottom thereof, a valve in said opening, said valve including a stem extending downwardly therefrom, a generating chamber, a closure for said chamber, said closure having an opening in alignment with said stem and valve, and means in said last mentioned opening proximate said stem adapted, when closed, to resist opening of the first mentioned valve.

6. A gas generator comprising a hopper having an opening in the bottom thereof, a downwardly opening valve in said opening, spring means tending to hold said valve in normally closed position, a generating chamber below said valve, closure means therefor forming an enclosure between the hopper and chamber, a diaphragm forming a partition in said enclosure, means interconnecting said diaphragm and said valve, and means for admitting gas under pressure from the generating chamber to the space above said diaphragm whereby gas within said space functions to open said valve upon a decrease in pressure within the generating chamber.

7. A gas generator comprising a hopper having an opening in the bottom thereof, a downwardly opening valve in said opening, spring means tending to hold said valve in normally closed position, a generating chamber below said valve, closure means therefor forming an enclosure between the hopper and chamber, a diaphragm forming a partition in said enclosure, means interconnecting said diaphragm and said valve, means for admitting gas under pressure from the generating chamber to the space above said diaphragm whereby gas within said space functions to open said valve upon a decrease in pressure within the generating chamber, and additional manually operable means for opening said valve to release material from the hopper to the generating chamber.

8. A gas generator comprising a hopper having an opening in the bottom thereof, a downwardly opening valve in said opening, spring means tending to hold said valve in normally closed position, a generating chamber below said valve, closure means therefor forming an enclosure between the hopper and chamber, a diaphragm forming a partition in said enclosure, means interconnecting said diaphragm and said valve, means for admitting gas under pressure from the generating chamber to the space above said diaphragm whereby gas within said space functions to open said valve upon a decrease in pressure within the generating chamber, and means for releasing gas from the space above the diaphragm to permit said valve to close.

GEORGE- L. HILL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 931,293 Goodyear Aug. 17, 1909 1,436,128 Warman Nov.,21, 1922 1,551,478 Frost Aug. 25, 1925 1,597,121 Thompson Aug. 24, 1926 1,736,673 Smith Nov. 19, 1929 1,740,203 Stovall Dec. 17, 1929 1,763,890 Irwin June 17, 1930 1,777,298 Dorsey Oct. 7, 1930 1,857,456 Irwin May 10, 1932 2,370,630 Baker et al Mar. 6, 1945 

